Aussie transgender model stuns in tiny bikini at Miami Swim Week
Sydney's own Riley Minford has taken to the international fashion stage, making her global runway debut at Miami Swim Week on Sunday.
The 28-year-old transgender model wowed the crowd as she strutted down the Oh Polly catwalk, calling the experience a 'dream come true'.
Minford, who is half Filipino, flaunted her bronzed abs in a series of barely-there swimsuits, including a striking red cut-out one-piece and a daring white bikini that left little to the imagination.
'I was absolutely terrified, but I got on that runway and ate it up,' she told Daily Telegraph about walking in the iconic swimwear show.
From strutting around in her mum's shoes as a little boy to landing one of the most iconic modelling gigs in the world, the influencer, who boasts 75k followers, shared her gratitude for the milestone moment and the acceptance she has received in the industry.
Minford claimed she felt like 'an Aussie baddie' while walking for the show, and she couldn't be prouder to represent her country on the world stage.
'It felt so special being flown across the world to walk and I hope I did my duty,' she told the publication.
Sharing a slow motion clip of her walking the runway to Instagram, Minford wrote, 'You can call me Miss Miami Swim until further notice'.
Fellow influencer Izi Angus wrote: 'Holyyyyyy', while Lily Brown added: 'Go baby!'
Other friends called her 'A damn icon' and said they were 'speechless'.
Praise continued to flood the post, with Dominique Ellissa saying she was 'SCREAMING' after seeing the video, and Isabelle Mathers calling her a 'supermodel'.
'Adriana Lima is that you?' another fan asked.
The moment marks a major step for the Aussie beauty, who's quickly making a name for herself in the modelling world.
Her breakthrough comes amid a wave of growing inclusivity in fashion, following last year's landmark moment when Valentina Sampaio and Alex Consani became the first transgender women to walk the Victoria's Secret runway.
Minford has previously opened up about the struggles she had growing up and not feeling at peace in her body.
'In (primary school), I didn't want to sit with the boys, but I wasn't allowed to go with the girls, even though I knew that was the side I was meant to be on,' she told Beauticate.
'It wasn't even so much the response from the other kids, as it was how awful I felt within myself, and not being able to express my own identity.'
Despite managing to avoid a lot of bullying, she said her experience still 'wasn't easy'.
She struggled with her identity until high school, which is when she finally felt she had more freedom to explore the different sides of herself.
After high school, she transitioned with the full support of her parents.
She feels like the process was 'flawless' and she is now able to 'fly under the radar' if she wanted to.
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